Sheep processing will not happen at Longford until spring

LONG WINTER AHEAD: JBS has closed its sheep processing plant until at least spring due to livestock shortage. Picture: Paul Scambler

JBS does not expect to restart sheep processing at its Longford abattoir until at least spring.

The plant announced its sheep and mutton processing operations would be temporarily closed on Wednesday until further notice, leaving 86 workers unemployed.

JBS Southern chief operating officer Sam McConnell said the top priority was staff.

“We want to open the plant as soon as we can, but number one for us is our people,” Mr McConnell said.

“There is a cost to the business and personal lives.

“We hope to be back by spring,” he said.

JBS had offered some of the previously suspended workers employment in different areas of the business, and some had already found employment elsewhere, which accounts for the drop from 99 affected staff to 86.

The remaining 86 workers, and their families, will meet with JBS tomorrow to find out the support available to them.

“This is a family issue, but it’s also about JBS looking after its staff,” Mr McConnell said.

“We’ve engaged with Centrelink and we have support from the Department of State Growth. We have a support program and we’re working with the state government to channel [that support] through to people.

“For us, putting off skilled labour is hard for the plant because we have to build the skill level back up,” he said.

Mr McConnell cited 20-30 per cent lower sheep production numbers industry wide as the reason for the Longford closure.

“There are record prices for wool, meat and mutton and people are retaining herds. There’s only so much capacity,” he said.

“Normally we’d see wool and livestock prices stay stable through October to March and then the price usually eases, but this year it didn’t ease due to the shortage [of sheep],” Mr McConnell said.

While spring was flagged to start sheep processing again, this is dependent on livestock numbers.

“It’s critical that there’s a stable number of livestock. We need to be confident the numbers will be there,” Mr McConnell said.